AZ, you are advocating limiting shidduchim between younger women (18-20). So, someone who decides not to go to seminary and wants to start dating right away (or even comes home after the year to date) will have no one to date. She will feel like used garbage.
And, according to you (I don’t know if this is true), people marry one of the first few people they date. So, you are depriving these girls of YEARS of their marriage. If no one wants to start dating them until 20-21 instead of 18-19, they are delaying meeting their match for the sake of others. You still have not addressed this point.
In addition, you will be creating even more of an elitist shidduch scene. The “best” girls (yichus and money etc) will still get dates at 18 and 19. So now, getting married younger will be a real status thing.
PLEASE DO NOT COMPARE A WOMAN WHO DOESNT HAVE A SPOUSE TO AN AGUNAH. That is terrible. There is a BIG difference between a woman who cannot get married because her husband has disappeared and one who has not found someone. An Agunah has distinct halachic characteristics that should not be used to compare this.
lkwdfellow – I strongly disagree that by speeding up men dating we will be “saving lives.” And, a year makes a HUGE difference in a person’s life. So does 6 months. Those that are ready, generally do start dating sooner (at least from the yeshivish guys I know).
Is this a problem is Israel too? Are there more women than men? What about in Europe or other countries?